2009 Zaandam - Alaska Daily Programs

Hi Gang,

First off, thanks to everyone who shared tips and information to enhance our experience on our Alaskan voyage on the Zaandam recently. In an effort to give back to the Cruise Critic community, I have scanned the Daily Programs from our round-trip cruise that took place May 15-22, 2009 out of Seattle.

Even if you're not on that particular cruise, you still may find some of the information useful as they discuss the route taken, activities planned, and some port details which may give you helpful information as you plan your upcoming Alaska adventure.

By clicking on the link below, you'll be taken to a private page of my advertising agency's website where you can upload high-resolution pdfs of each day's information (you can either print this or save it as a file to your computer). As these files are high-resolution, please allow a moment (or several depending on your connection speed) for each pdf to open once you've chosen a specific Daily Program. Please note, this was the fastest way to get this to you...please don't judge our creative based on this page! If at all interested in the deceptive world that I work in, you can see a bit more of who we are and what we do by clicking on the logo and heading over to our main website. :p

Of course, if you have any specific questions, please let me know!

We are sailing in a few days, so it was nice to see what things will be like.

Did you have a good cruise?

Thanks so much for taking the time to do this. I can now book my Pinnacle reservation to coincide with the Master Chef dinner. It will also hopefully be a celebration of our successful completion of the Ketchikan zipline!

Another thanks! It's nice to have this info ahead of time :D

These are wonderful!

Thank you! :D

I did think of one question: after seeing the show times as 7 PM and 9 PM I'm curious as to the fixed dining times. We have "main - upper" which is normally at 8 pm so I guess the 7 PM show would be our only option unless Alaska dinner times are different than I recall. Do you know when the dinner times were on your cruise? Thanks!

I add my thanks to this thread, I am grateful to know a bit of what to expect friday when I board!

Thanks so much. As a first-time cruiser, it's nice to know what's in store. We're sailing on Zaandam on June 19. I have heard about wear and tear, spotty service, etc., but I have also heard great things about HAL and that ship, in particular. Regardless, I am determined to have a fantastic time. Just hoping not to get seasick or norovirus. :(

A question:

Do the activities have a cost associated with them? I know the fitness classes had a cost listed, but what about things like food demos, technical workshops, etc., that are listed?

Thanks!

Amy

Spontaneous Girl:

We're also on the Zaandam June 19th. Have you received your cabin assignments yet? We booked a 'guarantee' and are still waiting.

Caroline

Hi Gang,

 

First off, thanks to everyone who shared tips and information to enhance our experience on our Alaskan voyage on the Zaandam recently. In an effort to give back to the Cruise Critic community, I have scanned the Daily Programs from our round-trip cruise that took place May 15-22, 2009 out of Seattle.

 

Even if you're not on that particular cruise, you still may find some of the information useful as they discuss the route taken, activities planned, and some port details which may give you helpful information as you plan your upcoming Alaska adventure.

 

By clicking on the link below, you'll be taken to a private page of my advertising agency's website where you can upload high-resolution pdfs of each day's information (you can either print this or save it as a file to your computer). As these files are high-resolution, please allow a moment (or several depending on your connection speed) for each pdf to open once you've chosen a specific Daily Program. Please note, this was the fastest way to get this to you...please don't judge our creative based on this page! If at all interested in the deceptive world that I work in, you can see a bit more of who we are and what we do by clicking on the logo and heading over to our main website. :p

Daily Programs

 

Of course, if you have any specific questions, please let me know!

Thank you for the dailies! The ship building on day the first sea day looks like fun!

Thanks so much for posting these. We are doing our first ever cruise on the Zuiderdam next month, and my husband and daughter were worried that they were not bringing enough books to keep them from getting bored. After reading these, they don't need to bring a single book.

Spontaneous Girl:

We're also on the Zaandam June 19th. Have you received your cabin assignments yet? We booked a 'guarantee' and are still waiting.

Caroline

I wish I were cool enough to have booked a guarantee! ;) Not having a clue what I was doing, and being rather spontaneous (hence the name), I just booked this whole trip on a whim through Travelocity. We are in two outside staterooms, but not on the same deck. One cabin was a rock-bottom deal, but the other cabin needed to be a triple, which I could only get at about double the price of the other room. I booked anyway and am so sad to see that people can get balconies or suites for the same price, but I am locked in b/c I paid in full. Oh well. One cheap room and one expensive one--I guess it sort of works out.

If I like cruising and plan to take another one someday, I will have to be less spontaneous and more savvy, I guess.

I hope you get an awesome cabin assignment! Best of luck!

Amy

Thanks so much Lee, great to see the daily activities for this season. We're headed up there on the VERY last cruise on September 25th...yes, we're taking some cooler weather clothes!!

Steve:)

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If I like cruising and plan to take another one someday, I will have to be less spontaneous and more savvy, I guess.

Amy

We always said we would never cruise unless it was to Alaska. Did that in 2004, and have done a cruise every year since. This year will be our second Alaskan cruise.

I'm betting you'll be hooked like the rest of us.

And you will learn a lot on each cruise, and this site will help.

We are sailing in a few days, so it was nice to see what things will be like.

Did you have a good cruise?

As you can see, there are plenty of activities to keep you busy. We bounced from event to event and had little time to rest. Ended up with about $20 Dam Dollars at the end but Laura (the Party Planner who was excellent) ended up doubling our dollars allowing us to both get shirts. The cruise was a "good not great" trip. I will be doing a trip report in the next few days but you can get the Cliff Notes of our experience in the following brief review I wrote in this thread...

My wife and I were on the Zaandam's May 15 - 22 "tour of duty" and, unfortunately, were not very impressed. This was our fifth cruise, but first on HAL. So, as requested, here's our good, bad, and ugly Cliff Notes of our experience...

The Good

• Value - We paid roughly $298/person (prior to taxes and p/c) for a DD - Lower Promenade, Partially Obstructed Oceanview room. On top of that we had a $100 shareholder credit and walked away with $78 of the casino's money. By bringing our own wine, champagne, flowers, and colas, we really maximized our experience to cost ratio!
  
• Weather - Never experienced rain before, during, or after the cruise which is amazing as it leaves/returns from Seattle and visits Ketchikan. A bit windy and overcast in Juneau but otherwise it was picture perfect.
  
• Staff - The lion's share of the staff (including Michael, the cruise director, and Laura the party planner) were terrific. The main desk's staff was always attentive and our dining room attendant, Agus, was very good.
  

The Bad

• Seas - We're both certified divers so rough seas don't really bother us. Our Open Sea Day (Day 2) though was pretty rough, foggy, and dreary. We heard several folks complain of the motion and we did find ourselves "pinballing" off the hallways. When showering I had to do my best not to get knocked out of the tub and the pool looked like the Wave Beach at Wet N' Wild.
  
• Food - To their credit, HAL does a pretty nice job with food presentation. The portion size leaves a lot to be desired and though I realize you can order multiple appetizers/entries/desserts, the few times we did we, to a minor degree, felt the stink eye from the waitstaff and tablemates. Also, we quickly came to the conclusion that most (not all) of the foods we sampled were "good not great". If you think Applebee's is fine dining, you'll be thrilled. If Ruth Chris is more your style, you're in for a long cruise, food-wise.
  
• Entertainment - We attended two Broadway-style shows, one jazz concert, the captain's welcome toast ceremony, and a couple of wildlife presentations. We had been warned that HAL falls short in this area but we just didn't realize how short. The shows are "community college level" at best, the welcome toast was stiff and awkward, and the wildlife programs (from the onboard specialist) were pitiful. While the jazz saxaphonist was good, his patter was rather forced. We noticed the "almost packed house" on the first night evaporated to roughly "20% filled" by the final show.
  

The Ugly

• Cabin Steward - Remember how we scored The Staff in the "Good" category? This was true with one exception...our cabin steward. He was so bad it became a joke. He never introduced himself, never brought us additional soap/shampoo unless we begged several times in writing, did not replace used wine glasses (I guess we were suppose to wash them with the soap we didn't have), never brought us fruit, and "made" towel animals/blobs that were completely unrecognizable. We actually received a phone message from the front desk telling us our cabin steward had found a candle (we never had lit this the entire trip) and reported it as contraband. :rolleyes:
  
• Schedule - We left out of Seattle late, got into Victoria at 8:15pm (we were suppose to arrive at 6:00pm) and would often still be standing in line on the stairs 20 minutes after they announced over the speaker that we were now ready to go ashore. In fact, there was never a port we arrived to early.
  
• Room Service - Yes, food did arrive on the three times we ordered room service. And, it was on time. But it was usually "wrong" somehow. One time, at the suggestion of this board, I wrote in an order of Eggs Benedict though it was not on the breakfast menu. No problem as many folks had recommended doing this. Rather than calling to clarify or explain they couldn't prepare items off the menu, they just didn't bring anything. I ended up splitting my wife's omelete. Also, we ordered one tea and two coffees. So how many cups would you expect? We got two. I guess we were suppose to mix the coffee with the tea? Food was bland and lukewarm...a real disappointment.
  

So the magic question...would we return? Maybe. If HAL had a great itinerary with amazing pricing then we'd definitely be back. Otherwise, no brand loyalty was built as a result of this cruise. :(

I did think of one question: after seeing the show times as 7 PM and 9 PM I'm curious as to the fixed dining times. We have "main - upper" which is normally at 8 pm so I guess the 7 PM show would be our only option unless Alaska dinner times are different than I recall. Do you know when the dinner times were on your cruise? Thanks!

Yes...the 7:00pm shows are designed for the Main-Upper (which we were) dining crowd. We found they started right on time and allowed you to stroll to dinner and be seated at about 8:05pm. On our first night, Laura (the Party Planner who is really worth getting to know) asked if we'd participate in the 9:00pm show. We explained we had the late seating for dinner and she said it probably wouldn't be a problem. Long story, short...we didn't finish dinner till after 10:00pm so we missed the opportunity. You could complete dinner faster (our table of six were often one of the last to leave) but I doubt you could ever make the 9:00pm show with an 8:00 dinner assignment.

I did think of one question: after seeing the show times as 7 PM and 9 PM I'm curious as to the fixed dining times. We have "main - upper" which is normally at 8 pm so I guess the 7 PM show would be our only option unless Alaska dinner times are different than I recall. Do you know when the dinner times were on your cruise? Thanks!

Oh...and to directly answer your question, the typical times for dinner were 5:45pm for early seating and 8:00pm for the late service.

Thanks so much. As a first-time cruiser, it's nice to know what's in store. We're sailing on Zaandam on June 19. I have heard about wear and tear, spotty service, etc., but I have also heard great things about HAL and that ship, in particular. Regardless, I am determined to have a fantastic time. Just hoping not to get seasick or norovirus. :(

 

A question:

 

Do the activities have a cost associated with them? I know the fitness classes had a cost listed, but what about things like food demos, technical workshops, etc., that are listed?

 

Thanks!

Amy

Don't worry about seasickness or norovirus. The only potential rough day will be Day 2 when you're out in the ocean and a Dramamine or Bonine (our preference) will solve that problem. As for norovirus, make good use of the hundreds of antibacterial dispensers throughout the ship and "keep your hands out of your holes" and you'll be fine.

Most of the ship's activities are free of charge. The exceptions are wine tastings ($15-$35), mixology classes ($12.50), cycling/pilates/yogo ($12), bingo ($10), and cooking classes (though you can sit in the audience and observe for free). If you look closely at the Daily Program listings, they will mention a cost if there is one.

I've sailed HAL twice, but haven't cruised since 2002. I appreciated your concise report! Hoping that my SO and his DS aren't disappointed. This is their first ever cruise, so maybe it's good they don't have anything to compare it to!!

Was there anything you wish you had taken with you but didn't? And vice versa - anything you took and didn't need (besides your rain gear - boy, you really got lucky in that department!!) ??

Did you attend any of the digital camera workshops?

Was there anything you wish you had taken with you but didn't? And vice versa - anything you took and didn't need (besides your rain gear - boy, you really got lucky in that department!!) ??

 

Did you attend any of the digital camera workshops?

Looking back, I'd say a power strip to charge stuff with as we only had one outlet with one plug in the main room (which had an obnoxious tendency to turn the table light on/off while we were using it) and, much later in the cruise, realized that we had one hidden in the hairdryer in the bathroom. By having a power strip we could have plugged in several items at once. Also, I'd probably bring a clothespin or chip-clip to keep the curtain shut at night. We were on the Lower Promenade (oceanview) and never felt the curtains sealed completely. We didn't go to the digital workshops...just couldn't fathom staring at a computer screen with the wonders of Alaska waiting outside.

Question for FloridaAdGuy

Saw your review of Pier 91. Thanks for the info. We are also staying at the Homewood (on Pike) the nite before the cruise. Is that where you stayed? Any word about things to do nearby or places to eat, shop. etc.

Thanks so much

Hi Gang,

 

First off, thanks to everyone who shared tips and information to enhance our experience on our Alaskan voyage on the Zaandam recently. In an effort to give back to the Cruise Critic community, I have scanned the Daily Programs from our round-trip cruise that took place May 15-22, 2009 out of Seattle.

 

Even if you're not on that particular cruise, you still may find some of the information useful as they discuss the route taken, activities planned, and some port details which may give you helpful information as you plan your upcoming Alaska adventure.

 

By clicking on the link below, you'll be taken to a private page of my advertising agency's website where you can upload high-resolution pdfs of each day's information (you can either print this or save it as a file to your computer). As these files are high-resolution, please allow a moment (or several depending on your connection speed) for each pdf to open once you've chosen a specific Daily Program. Please note, this was the fastest way to get this to you...please don't judge our creative based on this page! If at all interested in the deceptive world that I work in, you can see a bit more of who we are and what we do by clicking on the logo and heading over to our main website. :p

 

Daily Programs

 

Of course, if you have any specific questions, please let me know!

Hi Lee

Thanks very much, not going on our Ist cruise till 2010 but its gives a good idea of what there is to do,looks like lots of fun

Question for FloridaAdGuy

 

Saw your review of Pier 91. Thanks for the info. We are also staying at the Homewood (on Pike) the nite before the cruise. Is that where you stayed? Any word about things to do nearby or places to eat, shop. etc.

Thanks so much

I think you'll really like Homewood Suites. They do serve a nice free breakfast and also complementary dinner (with wine and beer). We are big hikers and often just walked down Pike to Pike Place Market.

Thanks. I've read alot of great stuff about the market and we will definately give that a try. We have a day pre cruise and a day post cruise so we are looking forward to experiencing seattle.

Is it a long walk from the hotel to the market? A few in our group walk regularly, but one has some knee issues and I understand seattle is quite hilly.

I have a power strip on my packing list! :)

I know what you mean about computer vs nature :rolleyes:

I would much rather be on deck. I thought I might attend a workshop if there wasn't anything else going on, or if the weather wasn't cooperating; sounds like you got all the good weather ;)